A Family Day
by dennisud
Summary: Sunday's is Family Day in the Ikari household. But when it's also Father's day, the family makes a special trek to their parents graves. See how Rei, Asuka and Shinji react to this day, this 2nd 'Visit'. Sequel toThe Day After Christmas.


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Disclaimers:

Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters, concepts, etc., are property of ADVision and Gainax.

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Family Day

By dennisud

Sequel to: "**The Day After Christmas**", also based on the story:

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"Bonds of Survival-OVA"

AN; This has NOT been pre-read so please keep this in mind.

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Asuka Soryu Ikari's POV:

It was a brisk, but warm June Sunday morning.

Rei and I were doing the usual morning routine of a brisk 2-mile walk followed by a hearty breakfast. Most days of the week we had the standard Japanese breakfast, except for Sunday's where I cooked a western meal. The kids loved the change and Rei didn't say a thing as she knew Sunday breakfast was the start of our family' day each week.

As the sausage and sauerkraut aroma wafts throughout our home we hear the stomping of several feet with a heavier set seemingly behind those. We see our brood racing from the stairs to our hips as our children are holding on pointing to the stairs and yelling "keepem away mommies", or something like that. I turn to Rei who has one of those rare smiles as I smile back. We know that Shinji had roused the family brigade as we were cooking, no doubt playing and tickling them all, with a final rush down the stairs to our dining area.

Then we finally see our love and the kid's father one Shinji Ikari laughing and smiling like a Cheshire cat. He sure enjoys Sundays, as do our children as their giggles and laughter makes that quite evident.

Later after the family demolishes our meal we all go and watch some DVD movies and anime for a few hours and then Rei and I slip out to make our picnic lunch for the day.

Usually we walk down the street to the local park where a large grassy area and playground is readily available for the neighborhood families to use.

But today is Father's day, so we also pack a cake and gift in the Family van as we are going somewhere else today. Today we go back to visit our parents.

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Rei Ikari's POV:

Asuka-chan can be aggravating at times and when we have to plan out something special for the family, or in this case for Shinji-Kun she can be even more irritating than usual. But I remind myself whom it is we are doing this for. That fact alone gives me more patience than normal. And as she sees me looking at her she instantly stops her rant and takes a few moments to breathe. We have agreed that when one does something that is aggravating, we give a specific look to the other to let them know that they are being unpleasant.

So we have avoided the disagreements we had before our union.

As we finish our preparations Asuka-chan alerts the family to prepare for our outing.

As the storm up to our second floor, I gather a great satisfaction in that sound. If The Commander's plan ad succeeded, if Asuka-chan and Shinji-kun had not accepted me into their hearts, those children I now hear hurriedly getting ready wouldn't have existed.

A tear I am not aware of suddenly traces its way down my cheek. I am then startled as a warm hand wipes it off. What's wrong Rei?" Asuka asks looking very concerned. She must have come back to where I was and saw me crying.

I look at my friend intently. "I am just becoming aware at the caring I have for our family, and how we could have not have all this had the commander's plan"

I'm abruptly out of my speech as a slap then a bone -crushing hug ensues. I am dazed at both acts until Asuka speaks." First, you weren't in control of this Rei, so the slap was to bring you to what is not was could have been." She brought me out of the hug and stared intently into mine. "Second, That bastard that called himself Gendo Ikari was a selfish obsessed maniac that cared for no one but his own needs and wants. So the hug was to remind you that Shinji and I love you, and you love the kids and us. Something Gendo Ikari was never really good at. He didn't even love himself and created Third Impact to be with whom he thought he loved. But Rei, he found out the hard way that he had lost that love when Yui found out what he had done to Shinji, and to us."

Asuka took a breath then looked at me before enveloping me in another hug. "He didn't even know how to do this right, Rei. You know how and that alone makes this present much better than anything he could have dreamed up in his version of Third Impact."

I simply nodded in acknowledgement and hugged her back with as much force and caring as she had. We finally drew apart with both of us smiling and giggling. Yes I had learned to do that though I will only do it in front of my loves and my family.

"Thank you Asuka-chan, I needed thatthough I pinch on the arm or a shake would have sufficed." Asuka then laughed at my making light of it.

"It's ok Rei-chan and I'll remember to do all those other things next time." Her smirk made me feel a little uneasy I hoped she wouldn't do all those other things together.

Would she?

Later as we had seated our family in our van', we made our way back to the place of that very first visit. The Tokyo-3 Memorial Cemetery where all our parents lay.

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Shinji Ikari's POV:

What a day it's been so far. We had a great and playful morning, both Rei and Asuka were acting a bit more giddy well as giddy as Rei would act, and as for Asuka she's an expression all herself!

But all kidding aside, its been a great family day so far. But then the exit we took made me lose my happy attitude. We were going to visit our parents. I became vary quiet but then a small pair of hands took mine. "Daddy, will we go visit Gramppy and da Grandmas?" asked Mana, our three-year-old. Luckily we had only Johan, two and a half

Yes Honey, it seems your mommy's want us to pay our respects." Though I didn't say it with any hint of spite I saw both Asuka and Rei flinch a bit. I guess I'm still not thrilled to see my father's grave so I'm a bit more despondent about it.

But we finally get there without any tickets thanks to Rei's driving. I remember last year when Asuka drove, and we had two tickets even before we hit the exit. My German Princess seemed to take after Misato when it came to driving.

But we traveled on and set up a picnic near the graves and each of our children gave me a Father's Day present. It seems this year they decided to have an arts and crafts theme, as both Yui and Kowaru gave me a hand made hanging wind chimes made of what I found out later where their models of the Evangelions. Seemed a company got the rights to make toys from them and the Angels, The UN, Misato and the rest of the former Nerv staff sued and won a settlement. So we get the models for free, which Kowaru promptly blew up in one of his experiments assisted by his cohort Yui. Still they seemed to have grasped the idea of recycling by the look of their present.

Next came Misato, Kaji and little Mana, who made A clay paperweight of the Geofront, though it looked more like something that would come out of a cow. But I took it with a smile and made plans to display it on my desk for the next few months then consign it to the attic for later disposal in twenty or so years.

Johan my youngest son then waddled to me with s hand drawn picture of what looked like the whole family in a big square, with each of us in a smaller square within it.

It reminded my of that old DVD movie from the US. And that thought made me laugh and smile at my young son's imagination, though I ha a feeling Mommy Asuka had a hand in it as well.

Finally I look at my loves and they in turn look at each other and nod. Then they pull out from the bottom of the picnic basket a package the size of a folder only wider.

The get up and as the kids watched they both took the package to me. I take it and kiss them both then slowly open it.

I can hardly believe it, it's a new SDAT player with 100 tapes that contain over 10,000 titles from classical to Jazz, to rock, and beyond. They know I do like to hold up in our room once in a while and listen to our stereo with headphones on to enjoy really good music, and this made my father's day. I hugged them both they replied in kind.

A few minutes later I nod to them and take my leave of my family that thought alone makes me smile as I head for their tombstones. My mothers and my fathers.

I finally get to two obelisks and think for a minute as to what to say. Finally I do and start.

" Hi motherfather. My family is with me down on the meadow below waiting for me to talk to you. A thing about talking to two pieces of stone with no bodies there. But to get to the gist of this, we are very happy. Taking Asuka and Rei as my wives was the best thing I have done in my life, even more important than surviving Third impact. Though that would be a part of that as well right. Well you now have six grandchildren and I think that's more than enough (He laughs a bit at his little joke). Oh and Rei and Asuka say hi, and at least to mom they send their love. Father (He falters a bit here) I still miss you even though you seemed to not care for anyone but Mom. But maybe now that I know there is a place where your soul goes to you can hear me enough to know what a huge mistake that was. I hope the kami will give you a chance to redeem yourself. But until then know that your misguided attempt was wrong and luckily things have turned out for the best, at least for us.

Well I gotta go so all I can say is I love you Mom, and father happy Father's day."

After clapping two times and saying a silent prayer, Shinji Ikari turned and made his way down to his family, the one that he was the head of, the one that he was blessed with, the one

He loved and would protect with all his life and power. For once he was happy on Father's day.

As he made it to his family at the bottom of the meadow, just below the graves of his parents a breezy wind picked up and two silhouettes seemed to be staring down on the family.

One seemed to be smiling and even having ethereal tears tracing down those see through cheeks while next to her was a stoic spirit that seemed to be like a statue silent and still.

Then quite suddenly it clapped two times and seemed to make a silent prayer. The first spirit turned and then seemed to nod extending an ethereal hand, which the second spirit seemed to take in his own. They turned for a final look at the frolicking children and the three who were watching over them.

They faded into nothing as those below felt a new warm and gentle breeze.

AN; I hope some of you have enjoyed these little glimpses of the Ikari family life and I hope to do more of them later on. I also will be finishing up my other stories this summer so keep an eye for them. This has NOT been pre-read so please keep this in mind! So all mistakes are mine and it would be nice to let me know Thanks all!

Dennisud 2015


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